Marvel Select
Marvel Select is a line of action figures based on superheroes and supervillains from the Marvel Universe that has been designed and released by Diamond Select Toys since 2002. Marvel Select figures are available only from comic shops, as well as specialty retailers like the Disney Store. History At its inception in 2002, the Marvel Select line was designed, sold and marketed by Diamond Select Toys, with development and production by Marvel Comics' toy division, Toy Biz. Now that Toy Biz is defunct, all development is done in-house at Diamond Select. The figures were originally limited to the Ultimate Marvel and Marvel Knights characters, while mass-market toy lines dealt with the main-universe characters. However, those restrictions were eventually lifted, allowing the line to expand its scope, and today Marvel Select covers all the core characters, as well as most of the Marvel movies. In the early days of the line, figures focused on sculpting over articulation, but they also tended to include large, diorama-sized bases and accessories (sometimes even a second figure) that necessitated large display packaging. These pack-ins helped establish Marvel Select as a collector-targeted toy line, although the dioramas were minimized or left out once the line began to tackle larger characters, like the Hulk."Superheroes Base Review: Marvel Select Hulk" The Marvel Select packaging, distinctively decorated with comic artwork of each character, is still the same today, and Diamond Select uses the "Select" label for other brands, including Universal Monsters, Star Trek and The Munsters, to indicate that a line is in the 7-inch scale and comes in Marvel Select-style packaging. Scale Unlike other toy lines, where figure sizes can often be inconsistent, Marvel Select figures are sculpted in a strict 7" scale. In that scale, the larger characters of the Marvel Universe can stand as tall as 9 or 10 inches, and while they would need special treatment in any other toy line, in Marvel Select they simply fill up the line's already ample packaging, which was originally designed to allow plenty of space for bases and accessories. However, since the size of characters in the Marvel Universe can often vary according to the artist, those larger figures can also appear to be in scale with 6-inch scale figures and even 3 3/4-inch scale figures, on occasion, making the line popular with collectors of multiple toy lines. Fan Polls In 2004, She-Hulk was chosen in a fan poll run by ToyFare magazine, allowing respondents to pick which of five characters (also including Sandman, Thanos, "DoFP" Wolverine and New X-Men Beast) would be produced as an exclusive for the 2005 summer conventions. Since then, two of the other candidates (Thanos and Wolverine) have been released. Released figures #'Ultimate Spider-Man' with a burglar webbed to a wall base #'Punisher' with smashed pinball machine, arsenal of weapons and thug victim figure #'Elektra' with castle tower display base, ninja arsenal and additional hand and leg attachments #'Ultimate Captain America' with flag, shield and WWII battlefield base #'Black Widow II' with cave wall base, pistol, rifle, knife and storage drums #''Origin'' Wolverine with forest display and wolves #'Black Cat' with apartment wall base, safe, jewels and unarticulated crawling Spider-Man #'Ultimate Iron Man' with removable forearm armor and recharging station #'Ultimate Hulk' with printed scenic city base (Black/Gray initial release/Matte Gray reissue) #'Ultimate Venom' (classic Venom variant) with an unmasked Spider-Man webbed to the wall base and symbiote jar #'Ultimate Wolverine' with injured Magneto #'Classic Green Goblin' with goblin glider, pumpkin bomb and tied-up unmasked unarticulated Spider-Man accessory #'Ultimate Thor' with Mjölnir and defeated Giant-Man base #'Dr. Doom' with goblet, pistol, interchangeable hand, and detailed throne with banners #'Dr. Octopus' with removable flexible tentacles and articulated Spider-Man #'"Here Comes Tomorrow" Phoenix' (fiery transparent Phoenix variant) with flame base #'Emma Frost' (diamond transparent Emma variant) with detailed fireplace and mantle display base #'Black Costume Spider-Man' with rooftop gargoyle ledge #'She-Hulk' with crushed car (ToyFare poll winner/convention tour exclusive) #'Ultimate Carnage' with Gwen Stacy corpse #'Thanos' with alternate Infinity Gauntlet hand and Death (with separate face-mask) #'"Days of the Future Past" Wolverine' with Katherine Pride and wanted poster ruins base #'Uatu the Watcher' with moon stand #'Spider-Woman I' (first appearance variant with full cowl) with detachable web shot, Hydra Agents and Hydra mansion base #'Spider-Woman II' 2006 SDCC exclusive with Hydra Agents and Hydra mansion base #'Moon Knight' with Khonshu Statue #'Cloak & Dagger' with light knives #'Iron Spider' with rooftop gargoyle ledge (ToyFare exclusive repaint of the Black Costume Spider-Man) #'Mephisto' with throne #'Ghost Rider' with fiery highway base #'Alien Legends: Skrull and Brood' 2-pack #'Zombie Spider-Man' with detachable leg and Silver Surfer pieces base #'Zombie Colonel America' with removable skull, shield and Silver Surfer pieces base #'Zombie Hulk' with Silver Surfer pieces base #'Skrull Elektra and Skrull' repaints (2010 SDCC exclusive) #'Modern Costume Thor' with Mjölnir and Asgard base #'Incredible Hulk' with rubble-strewn base #'Extremis Armor Iron Man' (stealth armor variant and Captain America armor BigBadToyStore exclusive variant) with blast off base #'Captain America' (unmasked variant) with pistol, canteen, sword in holster, and eagle ledge #'Red Hulk' with rubble-strewn base (BigBadToyStore exclusive) #'Arachne' from Best of Marvel Select Series 3, with Hydra Agents and Hydra mansion base #'Skrull Three-Pack' from Best of Marvel Select Series 3 #'Captain Marvel' (Genis-Vell variant and Genis-Vell variant with Kree navy uniform with pistol) with crashed Skrull ship base #'Anti-Venom' with symbiote base #'Wolverine' (first appearance variant, uncanny costume variant and unmasked uncanny costume variant) with Weapon X base #'Marvel Girl' (Rachel Summers variant) with half of the Xavier mansion gate #'X-Men Origins: Wolverine' with dumpster #'Sabretooth' (first appearance variant) with damaged Weapon X facility base #'Daredevil' (unmasked variant) with cathedral roof top #'Spider-Man' with destroyed car base #'Iron Man 2: Iron Man Mark VI' with armory base #'Iron Man 2: Iron Man Mark IV' with armory base (Borders exclusive) #'Iron Man 2: War Machine' with Hammer armory base, (Red arc Borders exclusive variant) #'The Thing' with printed group scene Fantastic Four base #'Abomination' with destroyed ground base #'Cyclops' (X-Factor variant) with interchangeable mask-less head and danger room base #'Deadpool' (unmasked variant) back alley base #'Magneto' (no helmet variant) with destroyed Xavier mansion base #'Juggernaut' (unmasked variant) with printed rubble base #'Thor Movie': Loki with Heimdall's sword and half of Bifröst gate base #'Thor Movie': Thor with Mjölnir and half of Bifröst gate base #'Gambit' (long-haired variant) with interchangeable hands, charged-cards, staff and danger room base #'Captain America: The First Avenger: Captain America' with shield, pistol and half of a Cosmic Cube base #'Captain America: The First Avenger: Red Skull' with pistol and half of a Cosmic Cube base #'Hawkeye' with Wasp and slain Ultron base (Disney Store exclusive) #'Classic Thor' with rock base (Disney Store exclusive) #'Captain America' with platform base (Disney Store exclusive) #'Black Widow' with Ant-Man and slain Ultron base (Disney Store exclusive) #'Colossus' with danger room base #'Modern Green Goblin' with glider base #'The Avengers: Hulk' #'The Avengers: Hawkeye' with Pershing Square railing base #'The Avengers: Chitauri Footsoldier' with Pershing Square railing base #'The Avengers: Iron Man Mark VI' with armory base - re-issue of Iron Man 2: Iron Man Mark VI #'The Amazing Spider-Man: Lizard' #'The Amazing Spider-Man: Spider-Man' with interchangeable hands and awning base #'The Amazing Spider-Man: Unmasked Spider-Man' with interchangeable head, hands and awning base (Disney Store exclusive) #'The Amazing Spider-Man: Metallic Spider-Man' with interchangeable hands and awning base (Disney Store exclusive) #'Ultron' with Ant-Man and Wasp (fallen heroes) base #'Storm' (short hair variant) with Danger Room base (same as Gambit and Cyclops, but with added saw and torch attachments) #'Unleashed Hulk' (Disney Store exclusive) #'Flash Thompson as (Agent) Venom' with revolver pistol, modern pistol and wreckage base (Disney Store exclusive) #'Lizard' with brick wall base (Disney Store exclusive) #'Barbarian Hulk' #'Rhino' #'Venom (Eddie Brock)' with interchangeable heads/hands and multiple headed attachment #'Nightcrawler' with teleportation base #'Iron Man 3: Iron Man Mark 42' with interchangeable unmasked head, alternate hands and armory base #'Iron Man 3: War Machine' with interchangeable unmasked head, shoulder cannon and armory base #'Iron Man 3: Iron Patriot' with interchangeable unmasked head, shoulder cannon and armory base (Disney Store exclusive) #'Iron Man 3: Iron Man Battle damaged Mark 42' with interchangeable unmasked head, alternate hands and armory base (Disney Store exclusive) #'The Wolverine: Wolverine' with two interchangeable heads, four interchangeable hands and a sword #'Thor: The Dark World: Thor' with Mjolnir and half of a rocky display base #'Silver Surfer' with surfboard, energy blasts, infinity gauntlet and energy trail base #'Winter Soldier' with pistol, machine gun, sniper rifle, crate and shattered window display base (Disney Store exclusive) #'Thor: The Dark World: Jane Foster' with interchangeable aether possessed head, dark elf sword and half of a rocky display base #'The Superior Spider-Man' with display base depicting the aftermath of a battle with the Sinister Six (Disney Store exclusive) #'Captain America: The Winter Soldier: Captain America' in stealth suit with helicarrier-inspired display base #'Captain America: The Winter Soldier: Unmasked Battle Damaged Captain America' in stealth suit with interchangeable full cowl head and helicarrier-inspired display base (Disney Store exclusive) #'The Amazing Spider-Man 2: Unmasked Spider-Man' with interchangeable head and hands with web swings (Disney Store exclusive) #'The Amazing Spider-Man 2: Spider-Man' with interchangeable hands, web swings, fire helmet and fire hose nozzle #'Savage Hulk' with rubble-strewn base (Disney Store exclusive) #'Black Widow' with Ant-Man and slain Ultron base (Black repaint of Disney Store exclusive) #'Captain America: The Winter Soldier: Falcon' with battle damaged helicarrier-inspired display base #'The Amazing Spider-Man 2: Spider-Man' with interchangeable right hand, web swings and awning base #'Electro' and Spider-Man (reissue) Two-Pack with two power rod display bases (Disney Store exclusive) #'Zombie Magneto' with rubble base and severed green goblin limb #'Bleeding Edge Iron Man' with a demolished plane wing display base (Disney Store exclusive) #'Unmasked Captain America' with platform base (Disney Store exclusive) #'The Mighty Thor' with an alternate head and fist, Mjölnir, and spinning Mjölnir accessory (Disney Store exclusive) #'Cable' with a defeated Stryfe base, pistol, shoulder mounted gun, oversized gun, two large guns and a knife. #'Carnage (Cletus Kasady)' with interchangeable heads and tendrils #'Avenging Hawkeye' with alternate head, interchangeable pistol grip hand, pistol, compound bow and Lucky the pizza dog (Disney Store exclusive) Announced figures *'The Avengers: Age of Ultron: Hulk' *'The Avengers: Age of Ultron: Thor' repaint from Thor: The Dark World *The Avengers: Age of Ultron: Black Widow' with two pistols and two escrima sticks *'Ant-Man: Ant-Man with interchangeable hands and unarticulated Ant-Man figurine *Zombie Sabretooth' with rubble base featuring a damaged chunk of Green Goblin’s Goblin Glider *'Doctor Strange' with window base Gift Sets Two gift sets of Marvel Select figures have been released, exclusively through the Disney Store. The "Fearsome Foes of Spider-Man" box set came out for Holiday 2012 and included Spider-Man, Modern Green Goblin, The Lizard and Flash Thompson. All figures were also released individually, the latter two exclusively at Disney Stores. The Electro and Spider-Man two-pack came out during Summer 2014. In early 2015, Electro was released individually, exclusively at Disney Stores. Best of Marvel Select DST at one point offered "Best Of Marvel Select" assortments, allowing retailers to re-order popular, sold-out figures, sometimes with newly repainted or repackaged figures mixed in. Arachne and the Skrull Three-Pack were originally offered in the third "Best of" assortment. * Best of Marvel Select #1 (2006): Ultimate Spider-Man, Ultimate Hulk, Green Goblin, Thanos * Best of Marvel Select #2 (2007): Ultimate Venom, Phoenix (plus fiery transparent variant), Emma Frost (plus diamond transparent variant) * Best of Marvel Select #3 (2008): Ultimate Hulk, Punisher, Skrull Three-Pack, Ultimate Iron Man, Arachne (modern costume Spider-Woman II) * Best of Marvel Select #4 (2010): Thanos, Dr. Doom, Black Cat * Best of Marvel Select #5 (2011): Hulk, Red Hulk, Ultimate Hulk Cancelled Figures *'X-Men: Days of Future Past: Mystique''' with Oval Office display base http://thefwoosh.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=96&t=90940&start=2205 External links * Marvelous News Database - Marvel Select Checklist * DiamondSelectToys.com - official DST site * ArtAsylum.com - official DST blog * Facebook - Diamond Select's official Facebook page * @CollectDST - Diamond Select's official Twitter account References Category:Marvel Comics action figure lines